//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Tales of Valor: A New Pony in Ponyville // by NobleValor //------------------------------// Noble closed the book with a thud, using more force than was strictly necessary. He heaved an annoyed sigh, trying not to let his anger get the best of him. Yet, how could he help, but be annoyed. He had been doing research every free moment he had since he regained consciousness and, regardless of how much he read, he still couldn't find anything concerning the timberwolves' and the manticore's strange behavior. He knew enough about dogs and wolves to know that, regardless of what happens, one rule remains the same: the pack stays together. He also knew that any predator, when faced with a loud noise and an unexpected charge, will turn and run to find easier prey elsewhere. However, two didn't. And what's more, when Noble charged the timberwolves, they seemed more interested in him than the kids. The manticore only furthered his suspicions. Growing up in a wooded area, he grew accustomed to seeing and interacting with all sorts of animals. He had even tussled with his fair share of predators. All predators, except for the truly desperate, stayed away from areas full of ponies. The manticore he fought yesterday showed no signs of being desperate enough to enter into a populated town, yet he was. All of this, along with the eye color change of the animals, he found disconcerting. On top of that, he had wasted an hour and a half of the morning on that stupid interview. While he was happy and eager to help Printing Press out, it still didn't change his disdain for self-promotion. Noble placed his head on the table in defeat, feeling the slightly cool touch of the wood on his forehead. "Something bothering you, Noble?" Spike asked, entering the room. "Maybe a little," Noble admitted, resting his chin on the table. "Well, what is it? Maybe I can help." Spike volunteered, his voice expressing his eagerness to be useful. Personally, Noble doubted the young dragon had any information on the topic he was searching for. But before he answered, he pondered in deep thought for a second. He came upon, what he felt to be, a brilliant idea. "Spike, if you were having a problem concerning animals, who would you talk to?" ************************************************************************** Noble trotted on the path that led towards Fluttershy's cottage. When he found out from Spike that she was the resident animal caretaker, he really wasn't all that surprised. From what he had seen of her, she seemed to have the perfect temperament for the job. He just hoped the pegasus could help him. He didn't have any doubt that she would, if she could. From what Spike had said about her, she was possibly the single nicest pony in all of Equestria, including the princesses. However, given his limited interactions with the mare, he was uncertain if she would feel comfortable enough around him to help him without it being awkward. He just hoped it would work out as well as he hoped it would. He finally spotted the cottage, finding it looked exactly like Spike had described it. It was a tree, much Like Twilight's, but closer to the ground and wider. It sat on a small rise with a little brook running under a bridge in the front. However, what truly made it stand out from every other house he had seen was the fact it was surrounded in small animal houses of every size and description. He approached the door and raised his hoof to knock on it. He stopped himself when he heard a faint musical sound coming from the back. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, he went around to the back of the cottage. As he approached the back, the sound became more defined with every step. So much so, he began to make out individual words. "...And all around the music fills the sky There's music by the river And there's music in the grass And the music makes your heart soar in reply." When he reached the back of the cottage, he found the most perplexing sight he had ever seen in his life. He even blinked a few time to make certain his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, but they weren't. He found Fluttershy, possibly the softest-spoken pony in Equestria, singing. And not only was she singing, but she was singing beautifully. She moved among the animals with an almost casual sense of ease. She flitted from one animal to the next; coming to each one with a smile, a caring presence, and whatever else was needed for them. She was happy, content, and at peace with herself and the world. As she finished her vocalizing, the animals present began cheering. Noble, waking from his dream-like trance, began to applaud along with them. Noticing the foreign sound, Fluttershy turned towards him with a look that could only be described as pure horror. "I didn't mean to scare you," Noble replied, trying to put her at ease, "I just couldn't help but watch." Silence stretched between them for a moment before either of them spoke. "Could you do me a favor?" Fluttershy asked, her usual soft voice managing to be even softer. "What?" "Um...do you um...think you could...not tell anypony about that?" Fluttershy asked, her voice getting softer as she spoke. "Certainly, but why?" Noble asked, "If you don't mind my asking, that is." "Well," Fluttershy began, "you see...I...I have....um..." Noble waited patiently, knowing the mare would get to it in her own time. Although, he had a good guess where she was going with it. "I have...stage fright," she finished, barely above a whisper. Noble nodded inwardly, having a feeling that was the problem. Given what he had observed and what he had heard from Spike, he could tell her only real problem was that being the center of attention absolutely terrified her. "I promise not to tell anypony," Noble replied, smiling gently at her, "You have my word." She glanced towards him, her face slowly lighting up in a small, but definite smile. "Anyway," Noble changed subjects, "could I get your help with something?" "Oh," Fluttershy began, remembering herself, "I would, but I have to take care of all my little animal friends first." Noble nodded in understanding. "All right. How can I help?" "Oh, I couldn't..." Fluttershy started, but Noble interrupted her before she could object further. "Look, I have nothing better to do at the moment. Besides, the way I see it, I owe you something for accidentally scaring you earlier." "Well," she replied softly, "Okay...only if you really, really want to." "Not only do I want to," Noble replied, giving her a determined smile, "I insist. What would you like me to do?" "Well, I can't really think of anything for you to do," she answered, as though she were afraid of the response she would get. Noble thought for a second, before hitting upon an idea. "Do you still have a number of animals to feed?" She nodded her reply. "Then how about I carry the food for you? You can feed more animals that way without having to go back to get more food. Would that work?" She thought for a moment before she smiled and nodded. "Shall we?" Noble asked, gesturing with a hoof. She walked towards her cottage, Noble walking next to her. "Thank you," she replied. "You're welcome," Noble replied, smiling a little. "And Ms. Fluttershy?" She turned to face him, her crystal blue eyes shimmering in anticipation. "For what it's worth, I think you sing beautifully," he replied. She turned her head back, smiling and blushing at the compliment.